 The Bush administration is weighing North Korea's needs against hunger in other countries as it decides whether to provide food assistance this year to the economically lagging communist nation, the State Department said Friday.
| How about "Not only 'no,' but 'hell no!'" |
The Bush administration and North Korea are at odds over North Korea's nuclear weapons program, but State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said no political considerations affect the decision on food aide. Disputing a published report that the flow of American food to the nation had been halted, Boucher said "there are other places" that need help and that the United States wanted to make sure delivery to the North Korean people can be monitored. It is not unusual to take time making a decision — last year's was made in late July — and one is likely by the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30, Boucher said. |